The Kerala High Court has recently granted permission to a 15-year-old girl, who was impregnated by her brother, to medically terminate her 7-month-old pregnancy.
After taking medical reports into consideration submitted by the medical board, Justice Ziyad Rahman AA noted that there is a possibility of various social & medical complications arising if pregnancy termination is not allowed and the child is born.
The order stated that “while considering the fact, the child is born from his own sibling, various social and medical complications are likely to arise. In such circumstances, the permission as sought by the petitioner to terminate the pregnancy is inevitable. However, even while addressing the said issue and passing appropriate orders in this regard, the possibility of giving birth to a live baby can’t be overruled, as highlighted by the Medical Board. In such circumstances, I am inclined to allow medical termination of pregnancy of the daughter of the petitioner.”
Therefore, the Court considered a petition filed by the father of the minor girl seeking directions to medically terminate the pregnancy.
However, the medical board opined that the continuation of pregnancy is expected to cause grave injury to the mental and social health of the girl and her physical health is likely to be affected by the complications of teenage pregnancy.
Therefore, it submitted the medical report stating, the minor girl is mentally and physically fit for medical termination of pregnancy.
Afterward, the Court directed the District Medical Officer and the Superintendent of the Government Medical College Hospital to take immediate steps for the termination of the girl’s pregnancy without any delay.
